Plan on the Malvern/Hot Springs/Benton intersection to be a little different week. That could mean a detour or a lane shift or both.
The ramp from Highway 70 to Interstate 30 eastbound will be closed for a short while as part of the construction project to widen I-30 to six lanes in Saline County. It also requires a traffic shift onto a new alignment on the I-30 bridge over Highway 70 in Saline County.
Weather permitting, crews will perform the following:
Tuesday, July 18 into Wednesday morning July 19, 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. – Close the Highway 70 to I-30 eastbound ramp. During this closure, crews will move barrier walls and finish striping the ramp, requiring traffic to be temporarily detoured. Ramp traffic will follow a signed detour to I-30 westbound, take the Old Military Road ramp (Exit 106), and return to I-30 eastbound.
Thursday, July 20 and Friday, July 21, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. – Shift I-30 eastbound traffic onto the new pavement at Exit 111 (Hwy. 70). During this traffic shift, there will be a temporary closure of the I-30 eastbound outside lane. The existing I-30 eastbound/Hwy.70 interchange ramps will also close, and traffic will be temporarily detoured. See NR 23-235-A for more details.
- 70 traffic heading toward I-30 eastbound will follow a signed detour to I-30 westbound, take the Old Military Road ramp (Exit 106), and return to I-30 eastbound.
- I-30 eastbound traffic heading toward Hwy. 70 will follow a signed detour to Exit 114 (Hwy. 67), return to I-30 west, and take the Hwy. 70 ramp (Exit 111).
Traffic will be controlled with construction barrels, barricades, and signage. The public is advised to be cautious when traveling in the work zone and watch for slower traffic speeds. Areas adjacent to the Interstate may experience noise impacts during nighttime hours.
This project (Job CA0601) is part of ARDOT’s Connecting Arkansas Program and includes widening 5.5 miles of Interstate 30 to three lanes in each direction, from the interchange with U.S. Highway 70 (Exit 111) to Sevier Street in Benton (Exit 116). The project also includes improvements at the Highway 67 interchange (Exit 114). More information on this $187.3 million project is available at ConnectingArkansasProgram.com.